Apple Music vs Spotify

[AVBeatMan]

Did the above thing work ?

Not working. Somethings wrong? There is no HomePod app as such. It’s within the “Home” app but after resetting it it’s not responding. See my fist pic. It has the small Spotify logo and says tap to connect but when I do tap it sends me to Apple Music? See second pic.

 

[B/D]

@AVBeatMan

Native Spotify (and Amazon Music), integration with the Homepod comes with audioOS 14, which, at the moment, is still in beta. When, in the future, you install this software version onto your Homepod, you´ll be able to take advantage of it.

That is, assuming that by then Spotify and Amazon will have their API updated with native integration of third party music services in the Homepod, which I very much hope so. Also this feature will require a premium subscription of either Spotify or Amazon.

Again, excuse my poor English.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Just accepted a £9.99 for 3 months to return to Apple Music so have done. I need to spend some time comparing the two. Perhaps after using Spotify for a few months I'll find things I miss about it as I did for Apple Music....

 

[AVBeatMan]

Just accepted a £9.99 for 3 months to return to Apple Music so have done. I need to spend some time comparing the two. Perhaps after using Spotify for a few months I'll find things I miss about it as I did for Apple Music....

I’m currently reading a book “The Rest Is Noise” by Alex Ross and in it he lists a playlist. I tried to find the recommended tracks on Apple Music for around 20 minutes without success. So annoying. Then searched on Spotify and instantly found the playlist.

This feature for me (to be able to share playlists) surpasses the “play all tracks” feature on Apple Music.

Spotify 1 Apple Music 0.

 

[Eric Idle]

I’m currently reading a book “The Rest Is Noise” by Alex Ross and in it he lists a playlist. I tried to find the recommended tracks on Apple Music for around 20 minutes without success. So annoying. Then searched on Spotify and instantly found the playlist.

This feature for me (to be able to share playlists) surpasses the “play all tracks” feature on Apple Music.

Spotify 1 Apple Music 0.

What tracks that you were looking for does Apple Music not have?

 

[AVBeatMan]

What tracks that you were looking for does Apple Music not have?

A short playlist for The Rest Is Noise.

— Mahler, "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" from Rückert Lieder; Kathleen Ferrier, Bruno Walter conducting the Vienna Philharmonic (Decca)
— "Ah! Ich habe deinen Mund geküsst, Jochanaan" from Salome; Hildegard Behrens, Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic (EMI)
— Schoenberg, Six Little Pieces Op. 19: II; Mitsuko Uchida (Philips)
— Webern, Six Pieces for Orchestra Op. 6: IV; James Levine conducting the Berlin Philharmonic (DG)
— Stravinsky, "Danse sacrale" from The Rite of Spring; Stravinsky conducting the Columbia Symphony (Sony)
— Bartók, String Quartet No. 4: III; Takács Quartet (Decca)
— Stravinsky, "Marche du Soldat" from Histoire du Soldat; Stravinsky conducting the Columbia Symphony (Sony)
— Ives, "The 'St. Gaudens' in Boston Common" from Three Places in New England; Michael Tilson Thomas conducting the San Francisco Symphony (RCA)
— Ruth Crawford Seeger, Andante from String Quartet; Pellegrini Quartet (cpo)
— Sibelius, Symphony No. 5: III; Osmo Vänskä conducting the Lahti Symphony (BIS)
— Weill, "Alabama Song"; Lotta Lenya (Sony)
— Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5: IV; Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic (Sony)
— Copland, Quiet City; Copland conducting the London Symphony (Sony)
— Messiaen, "Louange à l'éternité de Jésus" from Quartet for the End of Time; Ensemble Walter Boeykens (Harmonia Mundi)
— Xenakis, Metastasis; Michael Gielen conducting the SWR Symphony (col legno)
— Cage, Sonatas and Interludes: Sonata No. 5; Herbert Henck (ECM)
— Feldman, Madame Press Died Last Week At Ninety; John Adams conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's (Nonesuch)
— Britten, "On the ground, sleep sound" from A Midsummer Night's Dream; Britten conducting (Decca)
— Ligeti, "Lacrimosa" from Requiem; Jonathan Nott conducting the Berlin Philharmonic and London Voices (Teldec)
— Reich, Drumming: IV; Steve Reich and Musicians (Nonesuch)
— Meredith Monk, "Do You Be," from Beginnings (Tzadik)
— Adams, "I am old and cannot sleep" from Nixon in China; Sanford Sylvan, Edo de Waart conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's (Nonesuch)

October 02, 2007 | Permalink

 

[B/D]

You can always upload these to Icloud Music Library in case that you have a local copy of this tracks.

 

[augustya]

You can always upload these to Icloud Music Library in case that you have a local copy of this tracks.

But that is not what we are discussing ? Are we ? We are discussing here that in its native format which Music Streaming Site is the best ? If I have to add something manually ? That completely overturns the dynamics of the game. Becomes irrelevant discussion then !

 

[B/D]

But that is not what we are discussing ? Are we ? We are discussing here that in its native format which Music Streaming Site is the best ? If I have to add something manually ? That completely overturns the dynamics of the game. Becomes irrelevant discussion then !

Excuse my English.

Icloud Music Library IS part of the dynamics of the game... of Apple Music. It´s the same case with Youtube Music. The subscription allows you to listen to their streaming catalog... AND upload your own music to the cloud, because there are many recordings not available in any of the streaming services and digital music stores.

@AVBeatMan listed several songs which are not on Apple Music catalogue. I told him that at least he can upload a local copy of them to the cloud, and enjoy them besides Apple Music tracks. He can even play the uploaded tracks directly from the homepod as well.


Amazon Music and Spotify don´t allow you to upload your own music to the cloud, which means that you are stuck with whatever holes their catalogues have. They also don´t allow you, for example, to edit the metadata of the songs and albums in their streaming catalog, which many times is incorrect or to change the artwork for a higher resolution one.

These things, for me, are essential and a deal breaker, which is why I keep using Apple Music, despite its flaws

Don´t get me wrong, Spotify is a fantastic service, with a much better user experience (faster, snappier, no bugs).

But in terms of combining a well curated local library with a huge streaming catalog, and make all of it available in all your devices, Apple Music is the only one which is doing a serious effort, in my opinion.

 

[lah]

I’m currently reading a book “The Rest Is Noise” by Alex Ross and in it he lists a playlist. I tried to find the recommended tracks on Apple Music for around 20 minutes without success. So annoying. Then searched on Spotify and instantly found the playlist.

This feature for me (to be able to share playlists) surpasses the “play all tracks” feature on Apple Music.

Spotify 1 Apple Music 0.

I just searched "The Rest Is Noise Alex Ross" in Apple Music and 3 different user created playlist came up. Some more complete than others, but they are there.

 

[LeeW]

Apple Music would be a more appropriate app for me to use but I just find Spotify way better for the hands-off approach I prefer. Spotify provides regular playlists, always on point based on what I want to listen to without having to manually pick. In comparison to Apple Music which I just found, difficult. Personal opinion of course.

 

[augustya]

This just looks like right moment to ask you guys. if anyone know this. I am looking for like Continuous DJ Sets Like 1 Hour or 2 Hour or whatever Just like you have on Soundcloud. But the quality is abysmal on soundcloud. Does anyone know if Apple Music has this kind of DJ Sets more or Spotify I am a Spotify user but I do not find many in Spotify ? The reason I am looking out for these DJ Sets on Spotify is for the Sound Quality which Spotify provides which Soundcloud noes not. Even with the Paid membership and which is not on the Continuous DJ Sets.

 

[lah]

This just looks like right moment to ask you guys. if anyone know this. I am looking for like Continuous DJ Sets Like 1 Hour or 2 Hour or whatever Just like you have on Soundcloud. But the quality is abysmal on soundcloud. Does anyone know if Apple Music has this kind of DJ Sets more or Spotify I am a Spotify user but I do not find many in Spotify ? The reason I am looking out for these DJ Sets on Spotify is for the Sound Quality which Spotify provides which Soundcloud noes not. Even with the Paid membership and which is not on the Continuous DJ Sets.

On Apple Music search for One Mix. They have hour long DJ sets from what they claim to be “The Worlds best DJs and Producers”.

 

[augustya]

On Apple Music search for One Mix. They have hour long DJ sets from what they claim to be “The Worlds best DJs and Producers”.

Ok. I hope they are all the same quality sound quality I mean which Apple Music has. I am hoping Apple Music does not have different Music Quality for Single Tracks vs these kind of DJ Sets ! Do they ?

 

[lah]

Ok. I hope they are all the same quality sound quality I mean which Apple Music has. I am hoping Apple Music does not have different Music Quality for Single Tracks vs these kind of DJ Sets ! Do they ?

The sound quality is very good.

 

[augustya]

On Apple Music search for One Mix. They have hour long DJ sets from what they claim to be “The Worlds best DJs and Producers”.

So since you suggested me something I thought of trying Apple Music again (I had left Apple Music back in 2018) Have been a Spotify User Since Early 2019 and I have no regrets. I feel Apple Music Sound Quality suddenly sounds better, a lot better then what I heard last time lol !

I am just gonna try it for a Month.

On the One Mix thing that you suggested which was my main reason and motivation behind Joining Apple Music. I see there are lot of those, but mostly from Artists which I have never even heard of and in normal situations would not even bother to have a listen to them. But lets see since I do not have much options in One mix. will keep cataloging if I find anything interesting.

But Thanks Anyways.

 

[philrock]

Amazon Music and Spotify don´t allow you to upload your own music to the cloud, which means that you are stuck with whatever holes their catalogues have.

All the music I have purchased from Amazon including many purchased in CD format are automatically included in the "Library" section of Amazon music, no uploading required. This is true for Prime, Unlimited and HD subscriptions. Doesn't help anybody with an iTunes library but still a great feature. When they started that feature they went back and included every (new) CD I ever purchased not just moving forward.

 

[kyussmondo]

I have used Apple Music since 2015. Before that, it was a mix of Spotify, iTunes Store downloads, and stuff I had ripped off my CD collection. There was a bug with library syncing between devices on Apple Music a few months back, so I thought I would give Spotify another shot.

There are a couple of things I prefer about Spotify:

1. The Connect feature - being able to seamlessly transition music between devices
2. Collaborative playlists - I don't use this often, but it is useful when I do
3. The Windows app is less clunky

However, even with these features, I still prefer Apple Music:

1. Better library management. When I add a song to my library it works as expected. Firstly, I can add a single song to my library and it shows in Artists, Albums, and Songs sections. With Spotify you can add an album to your library, adding a song you have to "like" the song and it adds it to a Liked Songs playlist. What's more, songs or albums you like or add do not show up in the Artists section, that is reserved for artists you "follow".
2. Tag editing. Following on from better library management, Apple Music lets you change the metadata for songs and albums, not just track name, but also the EQ, volume, song length etc for each song.
3. Smart playlists. Again, as much as iTunes pains me, it is so much more powerful than the Spotify app.
4. Live lyrics. No explanation required.
5. Light mode and dark mode. Spotify only has dark mode. Give me the choice. I want light mode as well as dark mode.
6. Shortcuts. I have set up a few shortcuts with Apple Music using the Shortcuts app and this is a huge power feature which I wish they would support on Spotify.
7. Apple Digital Masters. A rebrand of Mastered for iTunes letting artists send Apple high quality masters so Apple can provide higher quality AAC's which follow mastering best practice guidelines. There are cases an ADM will be as good as CD quality and TIDAL Masters and in some cases better while remaining 256kbps.
8. iCloud Music Library. For tracks you own then Apple Music can match the tracks or if they are not available upload the tracks to the cloud to make them available anyway. Local Files syncing in Spotify is a clunky solution.
9. iPad. The iPad app in iPadOS 14 is a huge upgrade and makes much better use of the larger screen with the navigation bar on the left as well as supporting things like drag and drop. Spotify on the iPad is ugly and does not make great use of the larger screen. The iPhone UI also looks sleeker in iOS 14.

Some people say that Spotify has better algorithms. Honestly, I don't find Discover Weekly to be much better than New Music Mix. I rarely use Daily Mixes on Spotify, I just find there are too many. Although, I will say that Spotify does have a few more curated playlists than Apple Music, but you could just signup for the free Spotify, find the curated playlists you like or find Spotify playlists online then transfer them over to Apple Music with something like TuneMyMusic.

If you are a casual music listener who doesn't have a large library then I think Spotify or Apple Music would work just fine. If you already have a large existing library or you just have a huge library in general, then I think Apple Music is the much better choice. The lack of a music locker and the poor library management in Spotify are deal breakers for me. I personally cannot hear the difference between TIDAL Masters and Apple Music in quality, but I have seen people say with higher end systems say that Apple Digital Masters really are comparable to lossless, your mileage may vary, but if it really is something you need then go with TIDAL, Amazon HD, or something that offers lossless.
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[boltjames]

If you are a casual music listener who doesn't have a large library then I think Spotify or Apple Music would work just fine. If you already have a large existing library or you just have a huge library in general, then I think Apple Music is the much better choice. The lack of a music locker and the poor library management in Spotify are deal breakers for me.

Great post, I agree with it all, especially the point above about those of us with large libraries and personal files/rarities/boots that can be loaded straight into the platform and accessed seamlessly alongside the streamable tracks.

One note as a Windows user- Apple Music recently released a web interface for browsers that is excellent and very fast, allows for Library management, Playlist editing, etc. I use iTunes for the heavy lifting on a single notebook, but all the other notebooks I utilize the new browser interface instead:

music.apple.com/us/browse